The Story of God

Variety announced today that Morgan Freeman will narrate a new TV series scheduled to air in 2016 on the National Geographic Channel, called “The Story of God.”

From the story:

“God is arguably the most important topic of our time,” said Lori McCreary, Freeman’s producing partner at Revelations Entertainment and an executive producer on the series. “National Geographic’s unprecedented inside access will allow us to explore the global mystery behind God and religion. With Morgan as our storyteller, we’re going to produce a visually stunning and thought-provoking series that will spur meaningful conversations about God and faith, by believers and nonbelievers alike.”

If I had to guess, I would say that the through-line will be that all religions are culturally bound attempts to access and describe a mystery (God) that is ultimately inaccessible to us. Because of the National Geographic partnership I’m sure the visuals will be stunning. Religion has created some of the most beautiful sights and sounds known to humanity. I have to wonder, however, whether they will also train their lens and storytelling on the ugly side of religion. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

More than anything I hope they get the history and anthropology correct. There are two possible conclusions to draw from the fact that the vast majority of human civilizations have created religions to grapple with the unknown. Either there is something behind it all that every society is reaching for but never grasping, or there is nothing there and religion represents humanity’s creativity and evolved agency detection in the face of the unknown. I think the later is much more probable. If the program leans the other way, as I suspect it will, for those who are paying close attention it may at least be more difficult for people to lay exclusive claim to the truthfulness of their specific god. That alone would make our world a more peaceful place.